How hard is it to win the NFL? Of the league’s 32 teams, only nine teams have winning records after four weeks. Only two teams — the Chiefs and the Vikings — have yet to suffer their first loss. Only one division — the super competitive NFC North — has two teams that currently boast winning records.
The NFL’s exclusive list of teams with winning records doesn’t include several notable teams, including the Eagles, Cowboys, Ravens, Packers, Falcons and 49ers. Each of these teams currently sit at .500 and will try to join the fraternity of winning teams this weekend (except for Philadelphia, which is on a bye).
While there are some surprising omissions, there are several surprising teams with winning records, most notably the Commanders and Vikings. Both teams’ fast starts have been buoyed by strong quarterback play.
Before Week 5 kicks off, we decided to rank each of the NFL’s winning teams, starting with the team that is in pursuit of its third consecutive title.
Rashee Rice’s season-ending injury has ramped up speculation that the Chiefs will try to acquire a wideout before the trade deadline. A possible option is Panthers former Pro Bowler Diontae Johnson, although some have floated the idea of a possible Tyreek Hill reunion (Hill himself addressed those rumors this week).
While their receiving corps took a hit, the Chiefs have a formidable rushing attack led by the trio of Isiah Pacheco, Carson Steele and recently-acquired Kareem Hunt. Kansas City’s resurgent ground game should offset Rice’s absence while making them even tougher to beat when the weather gets cold.
Oh yeah, the Chiefs still have the league’s best player in Patrick Mahomes and a defense that has been stellar against the run and in the red zone so far.
Are the Vikings for real? Well, they’re one of two undefeated teams, are fourth in the NFL in both scoring offense and defense, and have beaten three of the league’s top teams (the 49ers, Texans and Packers) in successive weeks. That’s enough to convince me that Minnesota is legit.
Sam Darnold has been big, but the Vikings’ success has hardly been a one-man show. The Vikings possess a deep receiving corps (led by Justin Jefferson, the NFL’s top receiver), a solid running game (led by Aaron Jones) and a defense that has already sacked opposing quarterbacks 17 times.
But every team has something they’re not great at, and for the Vikings, it’s their pass defense. They enter Sunday’s game against Aaron Rodgers having allowed the most passing yards in the NFL through four weeks.
3. Lions (3-1)
Like last year, the Lions’ pass defense is extremely suspect. But they’re exceptional in most other areas, just as they were a year ago.
Speaking of exceptional, Jared Goff was a perfect 18 of 18 this past Monday night. Goff may not be a future Hall of Famer, but he’s proven that he’s more than good enough to lead a team to the Super Bowl if everything else is in order. That appears to be the case in Detroit, as Goff is armed with arguably the NFL’s best running back duo (David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs), All-Pro wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, talented tight end Sam LaPorta and a defense that is led by Defensive Player of the Year front-runner Aidan Hutchinson.
Tampa’s Week 3 no-show against Denver is a big reason why they’re behind Detroit despite beating the Lions in Week 2. No. 4 on this list, though, isn’t a bad spot to occupy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Buccaneers continue to be ranked among the league’s top teams.
Despite a host of injuries (including All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr.’s foot injury that has sidelined him for the past two games), the Buccaneers have taken the early lead in what should be a competitive race with New Orleans and Atlanta to win the NFC South. Baker Mayfield has been a big reason for Tampa’s early success, as the former No. 1 pick is having a career year with 8 touchdowns against just 2 picks thus far.
You know you’re doing something right in D.C. when you’ve done something that hasn’t been accomplished since franchise’s last Super Bowl team. That’s what Dan Quinn’s club recently did after becoming the first Washington team since Joe Gibbs’ Super Bowl-winning 1991 squad to score at least 38 points in consecutive weeks.
The offense has been ignited by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has made history himself by completing a record 82.1% of his passes in his first four games. The defense, which was leaky against Tampa and Cincinnati, is coming off its best game of the year after holding Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to 14 points.
Why isn’t Washington higher, then? Their defense, despite last week’s solid showing, is still near the bottom in the NFL in several categories, including touchdown passes allowed, yards-per-carry allowed and third down efficiency.
6. Texans (3-1)
Like you probably are, I’m surprised to see the Texans this low. But that’s what happens when you get blown out by the Vikings, then struggle to beat the winless Jaguars. I also factored in the fact that the Texans squeaked past the Colts and Bears in the season’s first two weeks.
C.J. Stroud is still shredding defenses while taking advantage of a stocked receiving corps that is led by Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. But the defense has taken steps back this season, especially in the red zone. Expect Josh Allen to try to exploit that facet of Houston’s defense on Sunday.
Buffalo is an enigma. While they looked good against weaker foes in the season’s first three weeks, the Bills came up woefully short (they lost a 35-10 decision to Baltimore) in their first big test of the season.
Here’s a few stats that helps sum up the oddity of the 2024 Bills. Josh Allen, often criticized for turning the ball over, has yet to throw a pick this year. But ironically, the strength of the Bills’ offense has been their running game, as they are 17th in the league in rushing and 20th in passing.
There are two main concerns with Buffalo: it’s lack of a No. 2 receiver (rookie Keon Coleman has yet to really make an impact) and run defense that is allowing a league worst 5.7 yards-per-carry.
Solid is a good way to sum up Mike Macdonald’s club. They’re a largely solid team that has been led so far by veteran quarterback Geno Smith, who leads the NFL in attempts, completions and passing yards.
I like Seattle, but it’s impossible to ignore that their 3-0 start was at least partly a byproduct of a weaker schedule. They edged Denver in Bo Nix’s first regular season start in Week 1, needed overtime to beat the hapless Patriots in Week 2 and blew out a Dolphins team that didn’t have Tua Tagovailoa under center in Week 3. And while the Seahawks’ offense showed up Monday night in Detroit, their defense seemed to stay in Seattle as Jared Goff enjoyed an historic performance at their expense.
This is no knock on the Steelers, who deserve credit for doing what they needed to do to get off to a hot start while in the process grabbing the early lead in the AFC North. Pittsburgh played lights out defense in the first three weeks and received inspired play from quarterback Justin Fields, who appears to be enjoying a career rebirth with the black and gold.
Sunday’s loss in Indianapolis, though, shook some my confidence in Mike Tomlin’s team. Pittsburgh’s defense was gashed early by Jonathan Taylor and were sliced and diced all day by 39-year-old Joe Flacco after Anthony Richardson left the game. On offense, the Steelers’ running game was non-existent. And while George Pickens, Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth have played well this season, it’s clear that Pittsburgh needs more at receiver.
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
October 3, 2024 | 5:41 pm
